Statistics

Doula support in childbirth is associated with a 40% decrease in cesarean deliveries among Medicaid recipients, according to results from a study published online February 14, 2013 in theAmerican Journal of Public Health.The researchers found that the odds for cesarean delivery in the doula-supported group were 40.9% lower than for other Medicaid-funded births (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.59; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.51 – 0.68; P < .001), after controlling for clinical complications and for maternal age, race, or ethnicity. Doula-supported births had a cesarean rate of 22.3% compared with 31.5% among other Medicaid recipients